The Buffalo Bills are one of a handful of NFL teams facing a problematic salary cap situation that requires work to be compliant when the new league year starts next month.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane could soon be getting some good news.
Pro Football Talk reported on Monday that the salary cap will be closer to $250 million than the $243 that’s been expected since before the 2023 regular season ended.
According to Spotrac.comthe Bills have 53 players under contract right now and their salary cap sits at $294.33 million. If the cap is set around $250, the Bills need to create north of $40 million in cap space just to become cap-compliant. Then Beane has to clear even more space to operate in free agency and sign what’s expected to be a 10-player draft class in April.
When Beane met with reporters at his season-ending press conference in January, he warned fans that this offseason could be without any big money moves.
“I’m gonna have to be creative with the cap,” he said. “And I don’t think I need to say it, but I don’t think you’re gonna see any splashes – even if I found something that was exciting to me. I don’t think it would fit within our cap parameters.”
The best place Beane can start to clear some of the space is by restructuring Josh Allen’s massive contract and converting his 2024 full base salary ($23.5 million) and a $6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. That will bring Allen’s cap hit down by about $22 million and will get Beane off and running to clear space.
Once Beane does the work and gets the Bills under the eventual cap limit, the shopping might be delayed when free agency begins. Last season the Bills pulled off a few smaller free agent signing in guard Connor McGovern and receiver Deonte Harty during the first week. Most of Beane’s work happened during the second and third waves of free agency.
“I think everyone needs to understand that we’re going to be shopping at some of those same stores we were shopping at last year,” he said. “We’re not going to be on Main Street of New York City or whatever those … high-end shopping centers are. It’s not feasible to where we’re at, but we’re gonna use every resource we can.”
The Bills signed receiver Trent Sherfield, pass rusher Leonard Floyd and safety Taylor Rapp to one-year contracts last year. Beane thinks that may be a way he adds during free agency again this offseason. The other strategy to building next year’s roster is going to be a departure from the Bills’ proven process. Beane said young players – especially rookies – will be counted on more next season.
“I think we’re gonna be at 10 draft picks,” he said. “We’re going to need to hit this draft and we need to hit every draft because … if you don’t draft well when you get in this cap situation, then it really shows.”
Beane said players like defensive end A.J. Epenesa, who was able to play a smaller role in his first few seasons because of the depth Buffalo had on its defensive line, will have to play more earlier in their careers moving forward with Allen on a high-paying deal.
“A guy like (Epenesa) may have to be more accountable and play sooner and be counted on,” Beane said. “So there’ll be some situations like that.”
Beane said that while the Bills don’t have the same kind of money they had in 2019 and 2020 when free agency opened, the Bills will work around their situation. He said they’re not planning to take a year off just because money is tight.
“I’m not laying my head down at (night) going: We don’t have a shot at it next year,” he said.
As far as prospective free agents go, Beane said he knows how to sell the Bills as a destination and it starts with Allen.
“I feel like Josh Allen and what we’ve done here will be an attractive option,” he said. “People are gonna chase the money but if you’re not getting up there, I think there’ll be some options and that’s how we got some of the one-year deals done a year ago.”
2024-02-19 22:38:00
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